still wet with tears. He could feel
her still quivering with the emotion she was striving to subdue. She was
too near in that moment to resist--perhaps he would not have resisted her
in any case; for he had it not in his heart to think ill of her.

"My darling," he said, "we will leave it at that. Only--in the
future--trust me as I am trusting you."

He turned to the table and closed the cheque-book. "These debts are my
affair. I will settle them. Just tell me what they are."

"Oh, but they are settled!" she told him. "I promised I would, you know."

"Then"--he looked at her--"someone lent you the money?"

Something in his tone made her shrink again. She hesitated.

"Chris!" he said.

Nervously she answered him. "Jack lent me forty pounds."

"Jack!" he said. "You weren't afraid to ask him, then?"

"Oh no!" she said quickly. "I'm not a bit afraid of Jack."

"Only of me, Chris!"

She gave herself back to him with a swift, shy movement. "It's the fear
of vexing you," she said. "I don't mind vexing--other people. It's only
you--only you. Trevor, say you understand!"

He did not answer her instantly, but the close holding of his arms drove
all misgiving from her soul. He rose to his feet, raising her with him,
pressing her to him faster and ever faster till her arms crept round his
neck again, and she lay, a willing prisoner, against his heart.

And so holding her, at last he answered her tremulous appeal. "My
darling, never be afraid of vexing me! Never be afraid that I shall not
understand!"

She could not speak in answer. The wonder of his love for her had
stricken her dumb; it had swept upon her like a wave, towering, immense,
resistless, bearing her far beyond her depth.

She could only mutely lift her quivering lips; and he, moved to
gentleness by her action, took her face between his hands with infinite
tenderness, gazing down into her eyes with that in his own which cast out
the last of her fear.

"My little Chris!" he said. "My wife!"

PART II

CHAPTER I

SUMMER WEATHER

"I think quite the worst part of being married is having to pay calls,"
said Chris.

"You do not like it, no?" said Bertrand, with quick sympathy.

"No," she rejoined emphatically. "And I don't see any sense in it either.
No one ever wants afternoon callers."

"But that depends upon the caller, does it not?" he said.

"Not in the least," said Chris. "There's a stodginess about afternoon
calling that affec